Linda Ronstadt

Linda Maria Ronstadt (15 July 1946-) was an American singer-songwriter and activist. Born in Tucson, Arizona in 1946, she established her professional career in the mid-1960s at the forefront of California's emerging folk rock and country rock movements, becoming the lead singer of the Stone Poneys before embarking on a solo career in 1969. She released over 30 albums and 15 compilation or greatest hits albums, and her music covered a wide range of genres such as rock, country, light opera, and Latin.

Ronstadt had a relationship with the Democratic governor of California Jerry Brown during the 1970s, and she would herself become a Democratic political activist, especially during the 2000s. In 2004, she outspokenly criticized the Iraq War at a performance in Las Vegas, causing controversy which led to several other musical groups supporting her. In 2010, she began a campaign against Arizona's SB 1070 anti-illegal immigration law, which she called a "devastating blow to law enforcement", and she also worked on environmental and community issues.